1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to deflectors in general and in particular to an adjustable water deflector for a water amusement device.
2. Description of Related Art
Water amusement parks, which may also be known as splash pads, are a popular location for children and adults during hot times of the year. Such facilities typically include a variety of water features including horizontal, vertical and user directed water sprays, dump buckets, misters, and interactive and fixed waterflow features. Water amusement parks offer a place for people to cool off during hot weather and also provide entertainment for children who enjoy playing with the colorful structures and various water jets and streams.
In particular, dump buckets are known to be particularly enjoyable for many children. Dump buckets include a container pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis to a structure. A water supply is placed above or within the container to fill it at a predetermined rate. The weight of the container is distributed such that the container will remain upright until it contains a predetermined volume of water at which point it will tip about its axis spilling its contents.
Dump buckets are often supported above an unobstructed location within a water amusement park to discharge their contents directly onto the ground below. Such dump buckets are typically small due to the undesirability of dumping a large amount of water onto a small child. Large dump buckets have been utilized, however that dump onto a flat or corrugated angled surface. Such surfaces however must be sized and angled so that the water being dumped thereon is directed at the correct speed, volume and direction for the group of users for which it is designed. Accordingly, where some such large dump buckets may be designed for an older child age group, and therefore have large volumes of water flowing off the plate at high speed to provide these children with excitement, the same arrangement will not be suitable for younger children. In addition, current designs having a flat plate typically only produce a simple flow of water in a single direction, without any directional or pattern control.